'Emmerdale' star promises "desperate" Leyla scenes

Emmerdale star Rokhsaneh Ghawam-Shahidi has confirmed that viewers will see a "desperate" side to her character Leyla Harding in the build-up to her departure.

The actress left the ITV1 soap earlier this year and her final storyline is exploring the dynamic between Leyla, her son Jacob and sister Alicia.

Alicia (Natalie Anderson) has raised Jacob since he was a baby and Leyla has recently been left panicked by her plans to move to Spain with the youngster.

As the moving date draws ever closer, Leyla's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and while she is escorting Jacob to a friend's party, she suddenly decides to take him on a trip into Leeds instead, Soaplife reports.

Ghawam-Shahidi told the magazine: "Time's running out and Leyla's desperate. Leyla asks Jacob if he would prefer to stay with her than go to Spain and when he says yes, she's blown away by it.

"She calls up and cancels the party, then heads to Leeds. It's a knee-jerk reaction."

Revealing what happens when Leyla then receives a phone call from her worried fiancé David (Matthew Wolfenden), the actress continued: "She tells David she thinks it would be much more simple if Jacob knew she was his real mum. I think it would be more simple for her, but it would be a huge thing for Jacob to find out."

Since news of Leyla's departure emerged last month, fans have speculated over whether she could do a runner with Jacob.

Discussing the possibility, Ghawam-Shahidi remarked: "She's in two minds about whether to tell him and whether to take him."

Leyla's final Emmerdale scenes air next month.

> Read more Emmerdale spoilers and news